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20 minutes of Weekday, KUOW, 9/11/02

author: grass root
Sep 11, 2002 12:31

Steve Sher's sneering response to a media justice activist.

Just heard Steve Sher on Weekday, as I was running errands. His call-in theme for the morning was something along the lines of --"One year after Sept 11 .... what are you doing today? How are you commemorating it?"

Easily, the majority of callers I heard were expressing their dismay or concern about U.S. foreign policy and militaristic retribution. One caller suggested that "intelligence" be used in foreign policy, over "military brawn." Another spoke of a "cycle of violence," emanating out of the Persian Gulf war and the sanctions that followed.

Steve asked "John" what he was doing today to commemorate Sept 11, and John replied:
"I've been handing out literature about something that I think is very important these days -- the media, and the role that it plays in our democracy." He elaborated some about the corporate media, about how limited the information and perspectives have been there, and about how widespread anti-war sentiments are continually unrepresented. He mentioned that there was all the more reason to be thinking about the corporate media, with the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) in town.

Steve immediately interrupted, "Ohhhh, ... you're going to take it all the way there, aren't you?" implying that he knew what direction the caller was taking in making his point. "Go ahead ... finish where you were going..."

John mentioned that the NAB, a powerful corporate lobbying group, was in town, and that a simultaneous event, Reclaim the Media, would be running a critique on corporate domination of the media.

Steve's finishing snide comment: "Ok, John, nice way to make an advertising pitch."

Shortly thereafter, Steve read through a list of 9/11 related events around the area, and the state. He mentioned two events featuring Governor Locke, a religious memorial service or two, and the Town Hall event. The anti-war rallies, the Conversations event at UCC, Waging Peace events, or Reclaim the Media events .... all of which are easily accessible on the well-known Jean Buskin peace & justice calendar were, predictably, not mentioned.

Is it any wonder that folks are referring to NPR as National Pentagon Radio?

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